In the wake of freezing temperatures in the New York metropolitan area, executives and coaches of the National Football League are questioning the wisdom of hosting the Super Bowl at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the Wall Street Journal reported.

The New York Giants and Jets spent $1.6 billion to build the stadium in 2010 and will host the Super Bowl in February 2014. But the bitter cold that swept through the region this week has officials thinking about possible logistical hurdles next year: how to maintain swift and reliable public transit, how to keep 80,000-plus fans warm during the course of the game, and how to create an environment of revelry in sub-zero temperatures.

“I think the weather up there would be an issue,” Reggie McKenzie, the Oakland Raiders’ general manager, told the Journal. “For what that game has become, with all the festivities and the hoopla, it will be hard.”

The Super Bowl has long been the bastion of sunny cities such as San Diego, Calif. and Tampa, Fla., or if held in colder cities, has been played in a climate-controlled dome. But the MetLife Stadium’s lack of a roof would leave fans exposed to the cold.

Yet some coaches believe the extreme conditions would be a welcome throwback to the earlier days of the NFL and add an extra spark to the nation’s most-watched sporting event. “If you go way back, there have been some legendary games in adverse weather conditions,” Steve Spagnuolo, the former Giants and current Saints defensive coordinator, told the Journal. “I think it’s terrific. But I’m a little partial to New York.” [WSJ] – Hiten Samtani